Craft Ideas Using Items Found in Nature

Decorate With What Nature Provides

You can create an attractive, inexpensive holiday display using items that nature provides.

You can create something simple and almost free for Thanksgiving by placing a jar filled with autumn flowers inside of a wicker basket. Add pine cones, acorns, pecans, or other items you can find on a nature walk to the basket. Add a seasonal bow.

For Christmas, or as a winter display, fill the jar with evergreens and winter berry stems. Use pinecones and other items of your choice to fill the basket. Add a bow and you've got an attractive display for the holiday.

Depending on the style of basket you choose, you can use this as a table top display on your porch or hang it on a Shepherd's pole near the front door or walkway.

By VeronicaHB from Asheboro, NC

Fall Pumpkin Seed Craft

Use Rit dye to paint the board, then embellish with pumpkin seeds, twine and ribbon.

Approximate Time: 1 hour

Supplies:

• Rit dye
• pumpkin seeds
• twine
• ribbon
• hot glue
• wood plaque

Instructions:

Paint the board with Rit dye. I did not water it down, just used it straight out of the bottle.

After it dried, I assembled pumpkin seeds shaped like flowers. Used twine as the stem, and ribbon for the center. Source:

• http://debbie-debbiedoos.com

By micmanno from Tega Cay, SC

Dried Wheat Stalk Decoration

This is a quick and fun way to liven up any room with dried, mature wheat stalks.

Approximate Time: 1 hour

Supplies:

• wooden knob board
• dried wheat stalks
• ribbon
• rubber bands

Instructions:

Purchase a peg board. Attach rubber bands to dried stalks of wheat. Cover the bands with fabric strips to your color liking. Hang on the knobs.

By Louella from Billings, MT

Walden Acorn Bracelet and Bark Wall Hang

After a long drive (sadly enough it wasn't within reasonable biking distance) to Walden Pond and back, I created a hemp strung bracelet using acorns along with a piece of bark accented with blue jay feathers and the carving of "BE". BEing at Walden was a phenomenal experience; to stand in the same woods where Thoreau once lived, laughed, saw, ate, and of course, wrote. I hope you enjoy the crafts.

Approximate Time 30 minutes

Supplies:

• hemp
• acorns
• bark
• feathers
• knife
• glue

Instructions:

Bracelet:

1. Explore the woods and collect acorns, bark, and bluejay feathers.
2. Pierce a hole in the center of all acorn tops.
3. Measure the hemp to fit wrist.
4. Tie a loop at the end of the hemp strand.
5. String the acorns on the hemp strand through the pierced holes.
6. Create a large knot to fit snugly into the loop at the other end of the hemp strand.
7. Place glue on loop and knot for sturdiness.

And there you have a glorious acorn bracelet.

Wall Hang:

1. Flatten out bark and blue jay feathers.
2. Place glue on feathers and fix them on the bark as desired.
3. Using the knife, carve "BE" into the bark.

And there you have a delightful wall hang.

By Lori from New York

Fall Crafts Made from Nature

It's the season here for pine cones, acorns, walnuts, wild flowers, thistles, cattails, etc., these are all things found in nature that we can collect (for free!), then dry or preserve, and save for use in our winter crafts.

For example, all sizes of pine cones can be used to make a pine cone wreath. Small pine cones can be spray painted silver and gold and put in a little wicker basket as a pretty winter decoration. Larger pine cones can be rolled in (cheap generic) peanut butter and then (bulk/generic) birdseed and hung out in the winter for the birds when they need energy food.

Other examples might be: wreaths made of acorns and walnuts hot-glued to a straw wreath, dried wild flowers used in floral wreaths and arrangements, cornhusk dolls from the husks on late corn. the possibilities are almost endless.

Ness from Lakeview, NY

Acorn Man

If you have a oak tree on your property or can get to one, here is a cute man made from the acorns.

Approximate Time 15 minutes

Materials

• 2 big acorns
• 8 small acorns
• hot glue and gun

Instructions

Gather acorns and clean off dirt. Then all you have to do is glue the acorns together as in picture. You can put a face on with paint or marker if you like. If you don't have an oak tree with the big acorns you can use the small ones for the head and body.

By Sandy from Bluff City, TN